Siphon tube



Jan. 29, 1946- J. c. NICHOLSON S IPHON TUBE Filed Feb. 15, 1944 IN VENTOR. f C /ic'LoZson ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 29, 1946 u UNl'lrI-fmf sfngri-zsA PATENT OFFICE sIPHoNTUBE James` C. Nicholson, Davis, Calif. Application February 15,1944seria1 No. 522,495

3Y Claims.

y This invention relates generally to .improve-v ments in siphoning.tubes or pipes and pertains more particularly to an improved siphon pipedesigned for use in those agricultural districts.

the -pipe will be submerged in the main ditch andL the other end willbev arranged for discharge into the auxiliary ditch. The type of pipe atpresent used is highly unsatisfactory for the reason thatr the jointsbetween the sections of which the siphon tube or pipe is made up are notproperly designed to. withstand the strains .imposed upon the pipe inits use and in additionthe design of the pipe is such that it cannot berelied uponl to maintain a` constant uninterrupted ow.

A principal object of the present invention is tol provide a sectional.Siphon tube ory pipe in which a novel means is providedfor couplingtogether the ends of the central pipe section with the end section insuch a manner, that the joints will remain tight as long as the Siphontube is otherwise serviceable, regardless of the strains imposed uponthe joints as a result of the manipulations necessary for theestablishment of siphonic action.

Another object of the invention is to. provide a Siphon pipe of thecharacter stated in which the central section has its ends formed in anovel manner which assists in the maintenance of a constant anduninterrupted iiow of water through 1 the pipe.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel shut-offvalve means at the discharge end of the Siphon tube, which is strong anddurable, easily adjusted for regulating the flow of water as desired,and designed to give notice to the user` when the pipe is iilled withlwater and ready to start the siphoning action.

The invention will be best understood from` a consideration of thefollowingl detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing forming a part of the application, with theunderstanding that minor changes and modifications may be made in the.structure so long as such changes and modifications mark no materialdeparture from the. salientfeaturesof. the invention asexpressed in .theappended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 illustrates the siphon tube ofthe present invention partly inelevation and partly in longitudinal section, the ,tube being shown inposition for use.

Figure 2 is a View in end elevation of one embodiment of control valvefor the discharge end of the tube. 1

Figure 3 is a view in top plan of the valve shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section through a portion ofthedischarge end of the tube and the valve.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale of a joint between anend ofthe central section of the siphon tube and an end section.

Figure 6 is a detailed sectional view of another embodiment of controlvalve for the discharge` end of. the tube.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing it will be seen uponreference to Figure 1,

that the siphon tube comprises the three sections,

I0, II and I2. These sections may be made of any'suitable material andthe free or inlet end of the tube. end section I0 is rolled orotherwisey suitably turned back as indicated at I3 to provide desiredreinforcement for the end ofthe pipe section. As will be readilyapparent the pipe section I0 forms the inlet end portion of the Siphon`tube while the pipe I2` forms the outlet end portion, the intermediateportion II being disposed substantially horizontally across `an earthbank I 4 which separates the water supply canal or reservoir I5 from theirrigation distribution ditch I6.

In accordance with the present invention the central pipe I I is pressedinwardly or constricted as indicated at Il, such constricted orimpressed dicated at.|9 to form with the angea locking` This seamis seambetween the two pipe. ends. then further tightened or made water. andairtight by the application of solder between.l the free edge of theportion I9 of the seam and the flange I8 as indicated at 20.

While the over-all diameters of the three pipe sections making up thesiphon tube are the same it will be noted upon reference particularly toFigure 5 that the inside diameterV of each end of the central pipesection II at the narrowest part of the constriction I'I is.considerably less than the inside diameter of the pipe II or of thepipes I0 and I 2. Because of. thisy construction when the Siphon tubeisii'lled with water andn use as shown in Figure l, an action is believedThis flange I8 extends across the end of the.

vto occur within-the pipe which causes the ilowing water to envelop anyair which may enter as aresult oi vortices developed at the inlet end,due to a low head dilerential, and carry such air through'in smallbubbles, so that the sphonic `action Willnot be broken. i

At the discharge end ofthe pipe section l2 the e* passage of wateroutwardly through such end iscontrolled by the valve which is generallydesignated 23, one form of valve being illustrated in Figures 1 to 4inclusive while a second form is,

Villustrated in Figure 6.

y In the form-of the valve illustrated in Figures '1 to 4 thematerial ofthe pipe section l2 at the discharge end is crimped to form the spaceencircling flanges 2,4 which provide the encircling channel 25. 'Pressedtightly in this channel 25 is the edge portion of an opening 26 formedin a l, guide plate Y2l,l opposite longitudinal edgesof which plate arelbent lback torform guide flanges '28. Y

Slidably held tightly against the outer face of the resilient thesupporting plate 2l, by the resilient flanges 28, is 'the valve plate29, opposite longitudinal edges of which engage between the llanges 28andthe plate 27"! as shown in Figure 3. This ValveY plate is pressedtightly against the outer oney of the two flanges 24 which forms a partof the pipe l2. Thus, it willbe readily apparent, when the valve plate29 is'mov'ed downwardly to a position where it fully covers the outletend of the pipe section I2, the discharge of water Y 2, asthe valveplate is moved up the apex portion of the notch 3D will first provide av-ery small outlet'opening which will be increased in size as the valveplate is further moved upwardly until' finally the entire discharge endof the Ypipe section I2 may be uncovered.

Another form of the valve unit 23 isv illustrated in Figure 6. In thisform the discharge pipe section is designatedV I2 and the Valvestructure comprises ashort pipe section 33 of an over-all diametersuiicient to snugly lt in the outlet end of the pipe l2 as shown. Theinner end of this valve pipe 33 is open andthe Wall of the valve Y pipeis provided with .the long V notch' 34, the

apex of which is adjacent to the outer end of the pipe section 33. Suchouter end is closed by the head l35 and the center of the head isprovided with the small water disch'arge opening 36 which corresponds tothe opening 3| and performs the same function.

In the use of the siphon'tube the Valve at the outlet end of the tube isclosed and it is cus--Y tomary to fill the tube with water necessary forY the starting of the siphonic action, by rapidly moving the tubelongitudinally backwardly and forwardly while the inlet end of the pipesection I is immersed in the water reservoir, until the `entire tube isfilled with water. In performing this operation the palm of the hand isheld over the outlet end of the tube and used as a check valve byuncovering the discharge end of the tube to permit the displaced air tobe exhausted during the filling stroke and by closing such endV Ytheopening in the movable element of the Valve unit, such as the opening3l of the Valve plate 29 orthe opening 36 of the valve pipe section V33,

whereupon the valve may be opened tothe desired extent to allow thesiphon to transfer water from the-reservoir or supply ditch I into the#irrigation ditch is in the manner uiustraied in vFigure 1.

Insiphons of the usual type the discharge tubeY is customarily longer orlarger in diameter than theY intake tube. In the present siphon the awk-Y wardness which would result from such a construction is avoidedwithout destroying the eiliciency of the siphon bythe construction ofthe endsofthe central portion. ,Employment of the pinched or constrictedends is believed to -set up l Va turbulence which keeps broken up insmall par- .'pipe, thus preventing breaking Vof th'e siphonic Vactionand effecting continued operation of the device even under a low headdifferential.

I claim: Y V .Y g 1. A siphon tube of Ythe character stated designed tomaintain ow under a low head differential comprising a central pipesection'and end pipe sections' joined to the central section to extendat an oblique angle thereto, the central pipe section being interiorlyVreduced 'in diameter at eachV of its ends, and a ow-control valveclosing the outer end of one of said outer pipe sections. 2. In a siphontube of the character described designed to maintainflow undera low headdifferential, a central'pipe section, outer pipe sections each extendingobliquely from an end of the central pipe section, said central pipesection being constricted adjacent each end whereby the interiordiameter is materially-reduced at each end, the adjacent ends Vof thecentral and outer pipe sections being joined by a flange formed aroundone pipe sectionanda crimped portion of the adjacent pipe section turnedover andenclosing said ange, a metallic sealing means further couplingthe adjacent ends of the pipe sections, and a now-control valve closingthe outer end of one of the outer pipe sections. Y

3. A siphon tube of the character stated designed tormaintain iiow undera low head diierential comprising a central pipe section andouter pipesections each attached at one end to anend Y a longitudinally arcuatetube, said central pipe section being formed at each of its ends toreduce th'e interiordiameter of such ends, the interiordiameter of thecentral pipe section between the reduced end portions and the interiordiameter of each of the end pipe sections being the same, and a valvecontrolling the outflow of liquid through the outer end of one outerpipe section, said valve including a member supported for movementrelative to the said pipe end and said member having a V notch thereinthrough which the liquid ilows, the minimum flow of liquid from theVpipe passing through the apex end of Vthe notch and increasing formaximumv flow through' the large end of the notch upon movement of themember in one direction relative to the adjacent pipe end.

" JAMES C. NICHOLSON. Y

